The Maiden and the Soldier
by kingofthewilderwest
Summary: Rory Williams for millennia guards a single box, desperate for the day it can be opened and he be reunited with his wife. In the meantime, he can provide others the means to open their own boxes and give people the freedom they deserve. This one-shot is written in the style of a fairy tale, complete with witches, maidens, enchantments, magical animals, and more.


**A good friend of mine, who is enchanted with fairy tales, requested that I write one about the time Rory Williams is the Last Centurion. I have always adored Rory's actions as the Last Centurion, finding it one of the most enchanting and incredible parts of Doctor Who lore. Thus, I accepted the challenge even though I've never before tried to write a fairy tale. She wished me to incorporate all the elements we expect in fairy tales: vocabulary like "maiden" and "once upon a time," a mood full of magic and romance, and a tale placed within the genre of fantasy rather than science fiction. Hopefully that comes across here in the following words.**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**

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Once upon a time in a small village there lived a young maiden. She was sweet, fair, and strong of mind and spirit, but what villages found most wondrous about her was her laughter. What beautiful laughter it was! Like bells it tolled, such that anyone who heard her voice instantly forgot all sorrow and grief.

Now surrounding the village was a forest, and in this forest there lived a reclusive and wicked old witch. The witch heard news from a traveler passing through the forest of the maiden's enchanting, bell-like voice. The traveler told her, "It's like nothing I've ever heard. The maiden's laughter is more powerful than magic." And as soon as the witch heard these words, she resolved to herself, "I must have this girl."

Once the traveler left and went on his way, the witch conjured up a powerful potion, such that whoever saw her believed they saw a kindly old woman, not the contorted, evil witch she was. With this sorcery, she approached the village, and sought out the maiden with the bell-like voice.

"At last!" exclaimed the witch. "Once I get the girl, I can steal her voice, and then I can be more powerful than ever before!"

Not long did it take the witch to find the maiden. The young woman's voice rang out through the entire village, dousing it with her beautiful laughter. Quickly the witch approached, drew the maiden inside, and told her, still disguised in her sorcery as a kindly old woman, "What a lovely voice you have, dear girl!"

The maiden blushed. "Why thank you," she said. "I am glad you find it nice."

"It is more than nice," said the disguised witch. "It is enchanting. I would love to hear it more, and to make you laugh at my own home. Would you be so interested in joining me in my house at the woods for some tea and carefree laughter?"

The maiden agreed, and she and the witch went off on their own into the woods.

On their journey through the forest, the maiden and the witch passed a man on the walkway. He was a strangely dressed man, bedecked in shining armor, and toting behind him an enormous metal box. The maiden asked the man, "What do you have in your box, good sir?" and he told her, "The most precious thing to me in the world."

But the witch, getting impatient, hurried the maiden along, and ushered her deeper into the woods to her house.

Now that the maiden was in the witch's home, she was not so sure she wanted to be there. The place did not look charming or friendly at all! You can only imagine what horrible items were inside the witch's place – rat tails and cow tongues and hoards of other frightful things, all stored up in bowls.

"What are all these things for?" wondered the maiden.

She started to back toward the door, thinking she might open it and leave at once.

But at that moment, the witch cast a spell on the place, making it impossible for the maiden to open the door. The witch showed her true form, and the maiden realized she had been tricked. The witch could now walk in and out of the house at will, but the maiden, no matter what she did, could not pass through the enchantment.

"I am keeping you here," said the horrid old woman, "because I want your laughter. I am going to take it from you and keep it for myself."

The maiden was very lucky that the witch's house was close to the road through the woods. Otherwise she might have lived and died trapped in that house. However, that is not what happened. The strange armored man they had seen slowly dragging a box was at this moment walking by the witch's house. He heard the old woman's wicked words, dropped the rope to the box, and pulled out an enormous sword. At once he ran into the witch's house.

"I will not let you take her laughter!" the man shouted.

Now it is not a good idea to surprise a witch. They are full of spells and evil, nasty things. But the man's sudden appearance caught the witch so off-guard that she released the spell on her hut at once, and the maiden was able to flee from her rescuer.

"Thank you so much for saving me," said the maiden. "I was afraid I was going to lose my laughter."

"I hope your laughter can be free forever," said the strange man. He seemed rather sad, perhaps unable to laugh himself.

The maiden thanked the man several times more before walking back to her village. While she was yet in the woods, she came across a rather remarkable bird, a bird with a beautiful voice that could sing a thousand songs. The maiden was excited. "Here is a bird that sings as well as I can laugh," she said, and she took the bird with her to her home in the village.

At first the bird seemed very happy in her house. It sang cheerful songs about summer, true love, and all things beautiful. But as time went on, the bird's songs became slower and sadder, until one day, it quit singing entirely.

"I don't know what the matter is," the maiden said. "It was singing so happily before."

That very night the man in the shining armor appeared at her door. Who knows if it was chance or fate he came when he did? He still had his enormous box with him – he would never let it out of his sight – but he also said that he needed a moment to rest, and asked if the maiden would be kind enough to give him some tea and provisions for his onward journey.

She agreed, telling him to wait at the door. But while she was getting him things, he saw through the door the bird sitting in the room, sad, without a voice.

"What is that bird?" he asked.

"It is a bird which sings more beautiful songs than any I have ever heard," she told him.

"It does not seem like a bird that wants to sing," he said.

"I have kept it here for a while. It used to sing, but it sings no more," she said.

The man looked at his box, then he looked at the bird. He asked the maiden, "I believe you are the same girl I saved from the witch some time ago?"

"Yes," she told him.

"I saved you because I wanted you to be free. When you are free, you are able to laugh. When you are trapped, you are not able to laugh. That bird is just like you. It sings when it is free. But since you have caged him, it will no longer sing."

At once the maiden felt horrible. She released the bird, and as she released it, it sang the most beautiful song it new – as though it were singing her its thanks.

"Nothing should be caged or trapped," said the man, "be it maiden or bird."

The girl pointed to the box the man guarded, then asking him, "But what about your own box?"

This time, she could tell the man was saddened. "Alas," he said, "I cannot open this box. I cannot free what is inside. If I had the ability, I would do so now without any hesitation. But because I cannot open it, I will guard it, and I will make sure that others who have the chance to open boxes will always do so."

"I will keep nothing more in boxes," promised the girl. "And I wish you the best of luck finding a way to open your own."


End file.
